The Samajwadi Party (SP) on Thursday, 27 January, announced its third list of candidates for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, with names of 56 candidates.
Among the most prominent faces in the list are BSP turncoats Ram Achal Rajbhar and Lalji Verma from Akbarpur and Katehari seats respectively of Ambedkar Nagar.
Meanwhile, former Assembly Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey has been fielded from Etwa (Siddharth Nagar) while former MLA Abhay Singh and Lucknow Yadav, son of former minister Parasnath Yadav will contest from Gosaiganj seat (Ayodhya) and Malhani (Jaunpur) seats respectively.
The list also names BSP turncoats Vinay Tiwari from Chillupar and Leader of Opposition Ram Govind Chowdhury from his Bansdeeh seat of Ballia district.
The party had announced its second list with 159 candidates on Monday, 24 January, naming party chief Akhilesh Yadav, contesting from Karhal, and former BJP minister Dharam Singh Saini, who is slated to contest from Nakur.
Further, senior leader and previously jailed MP Azam Khan and his son Abdullah Azam Khan will contest from the Rampur and Suar seats, respectively.
The 2022 state Assembly elections will begin with the first phase of voting in Uttar Pradesh on 10 February and will end on 7 March, with the seventh and last phase of the polling in the state. The counting of votes will be held on 10 March.
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